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Friday, 31 December 2010

The Year of Readers - Sticky Post

If you've found this blog after January 1st 2009 you can still sign up and become a part of 'The Year of Readers'. Just start your charitable reading year from when you sign up, using the Mr Linky below, and end it on December 31st.

I love to read. Countries and people open up when I start a book and a story begins. It’s easy for me to pull a new book out of my crowded bookshelves every time I want one but not everyone can just grab books by the handful and choose their next read. For someone who hates to have to wait for books it’s sad to think of someone unable to get a novel when they want to. I feel even worse when I think of people who can’t read or have never had the opportunity to learn how much fun reading can be. Books are one of the simplest luxuries in the world and should be accessible to everyone.

In 2009 I want to spread my love of reading throughout the world. The Year of Readers aims to bring people who enjoy books together to have fun bringing literature into the lives of others. From the 1st January 2009 until 31st of December 2009 I will be running an international read-a-thon that will be open to anyone who reads. It doesn’t matter what kind of books you read or how many you read as long as you’ve got your nose in a book in 2009 you can join in.

The Year of Readers

It’s an easy concept (which is probably why I thought of it). You pick a literary charity that you want to support in 2009. You sign up to be part of The Year of Readers, get people to sponsor you and just start reading whatever you like. If you’re going to read next year why not join and help a bookish charity at the same time?

How to Join

Sign up to The Year of Readers using the link device below. Remember to leave your website (if you want it to be linked to in the right sidebar). Once you’re signed up leave a comment with your e-mail address and I’ll send you your sponsorship form and an invite allowing you to post at this community blog so you can tell everyone about what you’re reading throughout the year. You don’t have to post here to qualify for the read-a-thon but you can if you want to.

After you sign up I'd love if you would also comment on this post to let me know which charity you’ll be reading for. I’ve put a list of suggested charities in the left sidebar but you can pick any charity you like as long as it has a link to reading. If you tell me which charity you'll be raising funds for I'll add them to that list.

I’ll also send each participant an e-mail with a sponsorship form and some helpful information. You can get people to sponsor you per book read or get them to give you a big lump sum for reading in 2009, you can even make up your own system for being sponsored. If you're taking part in any reading challenges this year you could get people to sponsor you per challenge completed. If you're looking for your next challenge visit A Novel Challenge.

How to Sponsor

Simply click on the links in the right sidebar to go to the sites of readers taking part. There you'll be able to contact them about making a donation.

Donating OnlineIf you want people to be able to sponsor you online the easiest way seems to be using JustGiving (or if you want to give to a Candian charity CanadaHelps). I'll be sending out sponsorship forms to every one who signs up but these guys might give you an extra way to raise funds. Many of the charities listed on the left have accounts set up so that you can link up with them.

Some Quick Rules

You can sign up at any time but only books read from 1st January to 31st December 2009 can be counted towards your sponsored read-a-thon.

You must sign up via the linking device at the bottom of this post to take part.

Books of any genre or type count (including graphic novels and poetry anthologies) but magazines and newspapers do not. If you're taking part in any reading challenges next year all those books can be counted towards your sponsored read-a-thon.

We have some great buttons for you to display on your blogs. These were designed by Mandi and you can find them at this post . Isn't she great for making these! I'm going to work on putting up lots more charity links as well. We have a nice schedule of monthly prize draws where participants can sign up to win bookish items. Join in and let The Year of Reading be your first good deed for 2009.

93 comments:

Thanks for stopping by A Novel Challenge! I will definitely post this wonderful event on my site...I tried this morning but Blogger is now having some issues with me and running so slowly that I will try again later. This looks wonderful!

This is a great idea, especially for someone like me that had a real hard time getting my challenges done last year. With this one, there is no requirement to read any one genre, any one book - simply to just do what I love and read.

On top of that, it can help someone else. I will be choosing First Book as my charity of choice.

I'm going to join too-- my email can be found on my profile page also. The charity I'll be reading for is PLOW (Public Library on Wheels), an outreach effort at my own library, which drives around to rural areas that don't have library service. Not only can people borrow books, they can also attend family storytimes.

I am doing this project this year along with my fiancee Trebro. I will be sponsoring the African Library Project and donating .25 of my own money (hey, I'm not that fast a reader!) per book read. You can get in contact with me at blacklightdiner at gmail dot com.

Just signed up this new year morning, so happy to find The Year of Readers. I pledge P100 or US$2 for every book I finish. Not sure how I can get others to help me out yet. Any tips would be welcome. Is it possible to suggest a reading charity, there is one public library in my country that bookmoochers in the Philippines have been supporting, namely the Quezon City Public Library? Will await feedback on this.Have posted on my blog, and hope this will spur me to blog more often.Have already read 1 book in this new year, how do I record... or should I read the posts some more? Thanks for letting me take part in this.

I am confined at home so will probably have to sponsor myself but I do read a great deal and can raise some contribution I'm sure. I would like to donate to the Camel Bookmobile Drive please. I can include books read since Jan. 1 as I keep records. My email is sfuhringer AT sympatico DOT caThank you.

Hello! I have just come across this post and would love to join in but as the year is getting on I am not sure if you think it worth it, will this be running for 2010?

I would like to do my bit for The Literacy Site. They give free books and tuition to children. I have buttons on my blog that they supplied that you click and for each click some funds go to the charity via their sponsors. It would be great to give them a lump sum too!

If you are interested in putting their buttons on your blog the web address is:

http://www.theliteracysite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=6

There are other charities there and they all have the same one click button. At the end of each year they announce how much money has been raised by people clicking the buttons alone and it is really substantial. The sponsors get the bonus of people seeing their adverts and therefore donate.

Anyway if you have a moment I would be very grateful if you could let me know whether you think it worthwhile me joining in now.